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AV MOD MATERIAL: NARUTO Ch. 616 Review

The Ino-Shika-Cho Combo makes its grand return with a Nine-Tails power boost.

" Congratulations on going simultaneous! As a creator, knowing that more and more people are reading my series gives me the energy to keep working hard! "

A message from Masashi Kishimoto on WEEKLY SHONEN JUMP going simultaneous in the U.S.

Naruto starts to spread the power of the Nine-Tails among the Alliance members to set the stage for the battle, and Ino and Shikamarureflect on their parents' final words.

The Good

Naruto's spreading the love this week.

The plan of Shikaku is finally revealed. Naruto has learned to take the chakra of Kurama and transfer it to others. This gives a massive power boost to the Shinobi Alliance. It's a brilliant tactic, but what else do you expect from Shikamaru's father? Speaking of fathers, I really enjoyed the emotional scene of these dads giving their final wishes and thoughts to their children. Shikamaru had one of the better responses.

What we're seeing now is an example of Kishimoto both overpowering Naruto while diminishing him at the same time. He's made Naruto incredibly powerful by giving him full control of the Nine-Tails chakra, but this isn't the end of the series. If he was to have Naruto overcome Madara, Obito, and the Ten-Tails all by himself. The hero would become so powerful that Sasuke and his dark boy-band couldn't possibly be a credible threat. The playing field is leveled by making it so Naruto needs the help of hundreds to win this fight. It just doesn't seem possible that Orochimaru could come up with something bigger than a ripoff of the Human Instrumentality Project. Also known as the Moon's Eye Plan.

The Bad

More of this Ino, please.

I was really warming up to Ino up until her little scene with her farewell to her father. It was that scene showing she's still pining over Sasuke. He's nothing more than a tragic pretty-boy who's completely unsympathetic at this point. He wants to kill everyone in the Leaf Village becasue the elders used his brother as a scapegoat. I like the Ino that her father sees in her. The strong, young woman who defends her friends.

Verdict 4/5

It was a really nice chapter that that pretty much puts the final nails in the coffins of Ino and Shakamaru's dad. It's also a great set up for what I hope is the counter-offensive of the alliance. The biggest question I still have. How many times is Obito going to give the same emo-speech before someone finally shuts him up? All I hear out of him now is, "Friendship is bad!!". I get it that he's suppose to be a dark shadow of Naruto, but this rant is getting old fast.